The Smurfs 2

Description

The Smurfs 2 sees the Smurfs preparing a birthday celebration when Smurfette is kidnapped by Gargamel’s creations, Vexi and Hackus. Papa Smurf and his companions pursue them through the Enchanted Forest, Spooky Woods, New York, Arctic Tundra, Lava Jungle, and Paris, with five stages and a boss encounter in each world. The story broadly follows the film but is presented through illustrated still images and narration rather than extensive animated sequences.

Players move from left to right, jumping between platforms, bouncing on enemies, collecting berries, and gathering coins that return missing Smurfs to the village. Taking damage scatters carried berries in a manner similar to rings in Sonic the Hedgehog, while being hit without any remaining berries temporarily removes the character from multiplayer. The Wii U version supports up to four participants control Smurfs using Wii Remotes, while a fifth player uses the GamePad to assist by placing blocks, attacking enemies, and interacting with the environment. This makes it somewhat enhanced with unique features for the hardware over the platforms. Nine Smurfs can be unlocked, including Papa, Grouchy, Clumsy, Vanity, Brainy, and Gutsy, each possessing a different ability required to reach certain collectibles.

Reception was broadly negative. The colourful presentation, accessible controls, five-player support, and forgiving difficulty made it suitable for younger Smurfs fans, but critics found the movement unusually slow, the level design generic, and the boss battles repetitive. Environments change visually without introducing many substantial new ideas, while frequently repeated character remarks quickly become irritating. The main adventure is also short and provides little incentive beyond rescuing every Smurf and collecting all hidden items. It can function as an uncomplicated albeit dull cooperative game for children, lacking the creativity normally associated with WayForward’s platform games.